The Antwerp Criminal Court has sentenced a former senior executive of the production company behind the VTM programme Familie to 40 months' imprisonment, suspended, for serious financial fraud. In addition to the executive, nine other parties, including companies, also received sentences. All those convicted have the right to appeal.
The fraud was uncovered in 2019 during an accounting audit at production company Zodiak Belgium. The CFO was found to have direct interests in several suppliers and had invoiced the production company, via his own firms, for fictitious services amounting to more than €6.25 million. These false services were processed using fraudulent invoices, often issued by family members and acquaintances of the defendant.
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The executive also collaborated with a previously unknown window-dressing company which, at his request, issued fictitious invoices for curtains and other products. The company then returned cash payments to the executive, while the invoices were processed within the production company's accounting system.
The court found the defendant guilty of, among other offences, fraud, forgery, breach of trust and money laundering of illicit gains. In addition to the suspended prison sentence, he received a fine of €8,000, a ten-year professional ban, and €4.53 million was confiscated.
The window-dressing company and its director also received financial penalties; the director was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment, suspended. The former executive's companies were fined between €80,000 and €120,000, and more than €8.1 million was confiscated. The production company was awarded nearly €9.6 million in damages, part of which was granted on a provisional basis.
Source: VRT NWS
